It was a recent afternoon at Pik Nik, a Main Street eatery that's quintessential barbecue, yet also something more. The place delivers a flavor storm, by way of a pulled pork sandwich with mustard barbecue sauce, or duck with mozzarella cheese and fig sauce on a roll.

The smoked meats — ribs, brisket, chicken, sausage — report for duty. And the styles, Carolina, Texas and St. Louis, are present and accounted for.

Yes, and try the salsa.

Its usually solitary life as tortilla-chip hanger-on gets upended here. Try the variety made of thin slices of red grapes, bits of pineapple, as well as the ingredients that bring the fire. It's a mix of sweet, spicy, comfort and drama.

Pik Nik, which opened in April, is the creation of Hassan and Alberta Jarane, who already own Mint Premium Foods, a fine-foods place just up the street. They moved to New York in 1993, living in Manhattan and Brooklyn before coming to Sleepy Hollow.

"We quickly discovered that barbecue was the right idea," Alberta Jarane said of the genesis of Pik Nik. "We traveled to places like Austin, and we gathered recipes and techniques. We bought our smoker in Tennessee and had it shipped up here."

The food

Besides the beef brisket, St. Louis ribs, meat platters, pulled pork, smoked sausage, chicken wings, french fries and collard greens, there are daily specials. Alberta Jarane said a recent one that was a big hit was a Banh Mi sandwich with a twist of Carolina flavor.

"We're not above trying new things," she said. "We really try to deliver on the promise of not only great smoked meats, but also phenomenal sides."

There are a number of desserts ranging from pecan pie to bourbon bread pudding. And there's Mexican hot chocolate, too.

The atmosphere

Enter the red-brick building, which Alberta Jarane said dates to 1890, and take a seat at a table by the floor-to-ceiling windows that give diners views of the idyllic downtown. The historic Tarrytown Music Hall is just up the way, along with some funky places to shop.

At each table, you are in control of using the bottles of sauces at your fingertips. There's mustard that's got spice and flavor different from the stuff slathered on hot dogs and burgers, and barbecue sauces of various intensities and ingredients.